Shopping Center Opening In Ozone Park Later This Year

After an empty lot sat there for several years, a shopping center will open in the coming months in Ozone Park.

Platinum Realty Associates, a Forest Hills-based real estate company, are planning on opening a new shopping center at 150-01 Cross Bay Blvd., right on the corner where Cross Bay and North Conduit meet.

The center, slated to open on Dec.1, will have about five to 10 stores in it, depending on what businesses they can get to open an establishment there, according to David Koptize, a spokesperson for the company.

Koptize said they have not secured any companies for the area yet but the company hopes to lure a supermarket to serve as the anchor for the shopping center.

There will also be parking on site, but he is unsure of the exact number of spots that will be available.

Howard Kamph, the president of the Ozone Park Civic Association, said while the center is a positive for the community, he would have liked to see one big department store open up there instead of the multiple smaller storefronts that are more likely to do business there.

“It would make more sense for the neighborhood,” he said,

Kamph said he believes smaller businesses, like a pizzeria and a laundromat, will most likely open there. Koptize did not provide many details about the company’s plans, other than targeting a supermarket.

Nonetheless, Kamph said the shopping center will be beneficial to the community and should help some property values in that area.